In many respects, the mega-case — a compilation of six separate cases that have been wending through the judicial system — represents the latest development in the continuous effort by powerful interests to influence the health care law by petitioning Congress, regulators and the courts. Of the more than 130 parties that filed briefs, some are familiar faces: at least 16 show up on a list Open Secrets compiled of organizations that disclosed lobbying on the health care legislation.

Sunlight took a look at some of the players who are represented in the case the justices will hear next week and their money and influence profiles. Note that the total amount of money spent on lobbying covers all issues in 2011, not just healthcare.

The American Hospital Association spent more than $20 million on lobbying in 2011. In its brief to the high court, the AHA argues against dismantling the health care law: "While the legislation is not perfect, it would extend coverage to millions more Americans. To undo the ACA now would be to maintain an unacceptable status quo — a result that is neither prudent nor compelled by the Constitution," the association argued in a brief filed by a lawyer with one of its lobbying firms, Hogan Lovells.

The HR Policy Association spent $1.5 million on lobbying. In 2011, the organization of human resource officers was lukewarm about the health care law but not in favor of repeal: "The Association does not believe the nation would be in a better place if the law were to be repealed outright without serious efforts at alternative attempts at health reform," the group wrote in a statement. Its brief did not state an opinion on the substance of the argument over the law, but asked for the Supreme Court to take the case for a speedy resolution to the case.

Among organizations that lobbied on the health care bill and filed briefs before the Supreme Court on the law's constitutionality, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has by far the biggest profile on Capitol Hill, at least in terms of dollars spent. So far in this Congress, the venerable business group has spent $62.2 million lobbying on health care and other issues. Declares a statement on website:, "the Chamber supports the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" in case the law is not struck down, the Chamber would like to overturn provisions such as the employer mandate.

The Family Research Council a conservative, Christian group that advocates against abortion and same-sex marriage, has spent $107,000 in lobbying this cycle. It is concerned about the bill's potential coverage of abortion and the requirement that Americans buy health insurance. "We have high hopes that the Supreme Court will recognize that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, and will act to safeguard the freedoms of all Americans by holding the individual mandate 'nonseverable,' and strike down every part of Obamacare," said FRC legal counsel Ken Klukowski has stated.

The Affordable Care Act is a mixed bag for many interests. For insurers, the worst case scenario would be if the courts throw out the mandate for Americans to buy health insurance while still requiring insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions, which could lower their revenue while raising costs. For these companies, the biggest concern is whether the rest of the law can stand if the individual mandate is struck down.

America's Health Insurance Plan (AHIP), the trade association representing insurance companies, has spent $9.7 million lobbying on this cycle on all of its issues. Its major interest in the court cases is severability. The group argues it was not the intent of Congress to have the law stand without the mandate. AHIP is a client of heavyweight legal and lobbying firm, Akin Gump, which so far this cycle has raked in $25 million in lobbying fees for a blue-chip client list that includes Dow Chemical, General Electric and Shell Oil.